Packaging for Pulverulent Material

ABSTRACT

A packaging and method for the production thereof, wherein a packaging for pulverulent material is proposed having a container part, made up of a laminate consisting of paper (board), metal foil and plastic material. The powder is filled into such a container and a seal having a plastic film that is fixed to the container wall by heat sealing is applied on top of the powder. A small gap remains between the film and the lid to be placed on the container (in the closed state). A scoop is fitted in this gap. After first use, the scoop is snapped into a fixing in the lid. The lid is provided with an elevation for accommodating the scoop in the lid.

The present invention relates to a package for pulverulent materialaccording to the preamble of claim 1.

Stringent requirements with regard to hygiene and dosage are imposed onpackaging for baby food. Therefore, such a powder is currently stored incylindrical metal cans that are sealed by a metal lid or plastic lidthat has to be opened before use and that is reclosable in a simplemanner. Scoops that are so designed that an accurate volume forpulverulent material is delimited therein are used for dosage. Bylevelling off, a predetermined amount can be accommodated in the volumeof the scoop cavity. It is important that this amount is accuratelyspecified in order, on the one hand, to guarantee that the baby receivessufficient food and, on the other hand, as far as possible to preventproblems with constipation in the children. It must be understood thatpulverulent material must be understood to be any granular material, inparticular spray-dried food products, as well as agglomerates of thepowder particles.

In such a packaging, such a scoop is generally loose between the top ofthe contents and the bottom of the lid on the product.

After the scoop has been used, some users replace the scoop in or on theproduct. Other users consider it to be unhygienic to put the scoop backinto the contents of the container after use. Therefore, the scoop isfrequently stored outside the container, which in practice furtherincreases the risk of contamination. On the other hand, the size and theheight of such containers are so designed that as compact as possible avolume is obtained in order to obtain optimum filling of the shelf atthe point of sale.

U.S. Pat. No. 6 604 645 B1 discloses a container having a lid to which ascoop is moulded and connected thereto by a film hinge. The top of thecontainer is provided with a seal enclosed by the assembly of the lidand scoop. At first use the scoop is separated from the lid. Sealing ofthe container at the location where the lid should connect to the wallof the container is very complicated. Stack ability of the lid prior toassembly with the container is limited due to the shape thereof.

FR 2 747 107 discloses a container which is sealed off and having on topthereof a ring comprising a scoop as well as a lid. After removal of thescoop from the ring and tearing off the seal, the ring can be positionedon the container after which the lid can become effective.

In both U.S. Pat. No. 6,604,645 and FR 2 747 107 the user has to breakaway the scoop from a further plastic part involving the risk ofparticles getting into the food material which might be highlydangerous.

The invention aims to provide a container, lid, scoop assembly whereinthe scoop is not permanently connected with the lid so that breakage isnot longer necessary. Furthermore, the lid to be used with the containershould be easily stackable with other lids during production thereof.The contents of the container should be guaranteed by the provision of aseal on top of the contents. The use of scoops having a different volumeshould be possible without substantive changes to the lid.

According to the invention this is realized with the characterizingfeatures of claim 1.

Stacking of the lids is provided by keeping the height of the lidrelatively low. On the other hand there is an indication on the lid thata scoop is provided inside the container. Such an indication is anelevation of the lid having (part of) the shape of the scoop. The scoopis not connected to any of the lid and container, after filling thecontainer with the intended contents. This means that breaking away ofthe scoop from another part of the package is not necessary after it hasbeen filled.

According to the invention part of the volume of the scoop isaccommodated by the top part of the container. To that end the seal isprovided somewhat below the top edge of the container. This distancebetween the seal and the top edge of the container is preferably between20 and 50 mm, and more in particular about 30 mm.

According to the present invention the user is encouraged to place thescoop in a accommodation made in the lid after using the scoop for thefirst time. This accommodation is partially delimited by the elevationdescribed above. In particular, the open end of the bowl-shaped part ofthe scoop can be accommodated in this elevation. As a result the volumeof the container does not increase to a significant extent, but, on theother hand, it can be ensured that the scoop can be stored in thecontainer under the most hygienic conditions out of contact with thefilling in the container.

More particularly, the elevation described above has a height of 2-25,in particular 4-15 mm, measured between the maximum of the height andthe base of the elevation.

The lid according to the present invention preferably consists of aplastic material, that is hingedly connected to a lid rim, whichlikewise consists of plastic and is clamped on the container wall orfixed thereto in some other way. Preferably, the lid rim is providedwith a levelling off edge, that is to say an angled portion or strip toavoid accumulation of powder in the corner under which the top edge ofthe scoop can be scraped in a simple way in order to provide accuratereproducable and convenient dosage of the volume of product in thescoop.

In the case of conventional packaging it has proved to be a problem toremove the entire contents from the packaging. The reason for this isthat manipulation within the relatively restricted space of thepackaging is difficult. Moreover, it is not hygienic always to replacethe scoop in the contents of the packaging after use, as is nowcustomary.

In the case of known packaging, on hygienic grounds the scoop is firstintroduced into the container, after which the container is filled withthe pulverulent material. Closure then takes place and on turning thepackaging upside down the scoop will come to the top. This has thedisadvantage that under adverse conditions pieces of plastic that breakaway or other particles from the production process can get into thepowder, with all the associated consequences. Moreover, as a result ofthis procedure there is a relatively large empty space between the topof the product, such as powder, and the bottom of the lid (the so-calledheadspace). In the case of perishable substances, such a large headspace filled with gas is disadvantageous. During the long storage time,certain substances contained in the product can be converted by theoxygen that is present in the gas.

A further aim of the present invention is to provide a packaging thatdoes not have these disadvantages or has them to a lesser extent.

This further aim is realised with a packaging as described above in thatthe container wall contains a heat-sealable material on the inside andin that a plastic film seal extending over the free cross-sectionalsurface area of the container is arranged close to the top of thecontainer, which seal is fixed to said container wall by heat sealing.

According to the present invention the space in which the scoop isaccommodated is separated in an essentially gastight manner from thespace in which the powder is present. Such a separation is possible bymaking the interior of the container wall of a heat-sealable materialand, after introducing the powder, to produce a film cover on the powderwith the heat-sealable material by heat sealing. A film providing agastight seal is thus produced above the powder. The scoop can be placedon this film in some way or other.

The film is preferably a film that can be fixed to the peripheral wallby means of heat and that has odour-absorbing characteristics.

Optionally it is possible further to counteract perishing by, before orduring application of the seal described above, removing the air oroxygen that is present in the powder or container by applying a vacuumand introducing into the product a gas that counteracts perishing, suchas nitrogen, carbon dioxide or any other inert gas or mixture of suchgases under normal conditions.

Under normal conditions, the quality of the product will not deteriorateor will barely deteriorate after the packaging has been opened becausethe contents of the packaging will be used relatively rapidly afteropening. The problem is the potentially long storage time, which can beachieved without any problem with the seal according to the invention.The packaging can be provided with a hinging lid, as a result of whichthe packaging can be effectively closed again after use.

However, it is also possible to arrange a snap-fit accommodation in thelid for snapping the scoop into this. This accommodation is preferablyin or close to the centre of the lid and can enclose the bowl of thescoop and possibly the handle. Preferably during production the scoop isentered in the space between the lid and the seal without using thesnap-fit accommodation. Only after first opening of the container theuser will clamp the scoop to the snap-fit accommodation to preventcontact with the contents of the container.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention,the packaging is made essentially rectangular. A rectangularconstruction has significant advantages with regard to packing andpositioning on the shelf. Optimum use of volume can be achieved, it alsobeing possible, when positioning on the shelf, easily to place thedesired side facing the consumer in order to increase the power forstimulating an impulse to buy. A further advantage of an essentiallyrectangular packaging is that manipulation with the scoop is appreciablysimplified. After all, for a given surface area, compared with a circle,the length of the diagonal of a rectangle is appreciably greater thanthe diameter of a circle. Preferably, the corners of the rectangle arerounded. There is preferably a levelling-off edge in the corner. Thisedge is preferably more than 9 mm wide measured from the corner and cancomprise a triangle or a strip spaced from the corner. If a strip isused powder cannot accumulate in the adjacent corner. Such strip canhave a width of 7-11 mm. The space from the nearest edge thereof to thecorner is more than 4 mm and preferably about 5-9 mm.

It is possible to fit an accommodation for at least partiallyaccommodating the scoop in the lid. The various aspects depend on theamount of product that has to be packed in the container, the desiredcross-sectional surface area and the height of the container. Asindicated above the free space (r) between the seal described above andthe bottom of the lid is preferably between 14 and 27 mm. It has beenfound that in this way an optimum volume for the scoop is provided,whilst the packaging, when containing, for example, 900 g product, canbe arranged stacked on a shelf in a simple manner.

Stringent requirements in respect of gas tightness and opacity areimposed on the packaging for certain products, such as baby food.Therefore, it is proposed according to the invention to make the wall ofthe container, like the bottom thereof, from a paper/metal foil/plasticlaminate. The metal foil provides gas tightness and opacity. Paper orboard functions as a support, whilst the plastic functions asheat-sealable material. The plastic used can be any material known inthe state of the art.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the seal, which isapplied on the product, is provided with a tear lip and a weakeningline. By pulling on the lip an opening can be obtained along the tearline, via which opening the contents can be removed from the packaging.On the one hand this provides easy access to the product, the userhaving to perform few special operations, and, on the other hand,tampering can easily be detected in this way. A further advantage isthat any product particles that have come between the seal and the wallduring heat sealing are not able to escape and remain enclosed.

After removing the film along the tear line, an edge of the film remainson the side walls. This edge will preferably be less than 5 mm, morepreferably less than 4 mm, in order to allow the opening to the productto be as large as possible. The film consists of a material on which theuser cannot injure him- or herself.

The container is preferably provided with means promoting gripping, suchas finger recesses. As a result of the rectangular design of thecontainer, one side of the packaging is optimum for each size of hand.One of the sides may have a maximum width of at most approximately 12.0cm and is preferably 6 to 11.6 cm in order to make good grasping by theconsumer possible. The other side may have size of 11.6-15.0 cm and morepreferably 12.4-13.5 cm. The maximum height of the packaging includingthe lid is 22 cm and preferably approximately 10-20 cm and morepreferably 15-20 cm.

The invention also relates to a method for providing a pack filled withpowder, comprising the provision of a container provided with a base,the inside wall of the container consisting of a heat-sealable material,filling powder into said container, placing a heat-sealable film abovethe powder and joining said film to said container wall, provision beingmade for the fitting of a lid.

More particularly, the containers are produced from blanks at thepacking location, so that only small volumes of packaging material haveto be fed to the packaging installation. More particularly, thecontainer is first produced and this is then filled and provided withthe seal described above and only then is the lid, including lid rim,fitted. The introduction of gas before/during application of the sealcan be carried out either on a continuous basis or batchwise.

It has been indicated above that the container is preferably ofrectangular cross-section. More particularly, this rectangular shapebulges outwards to some extent in the middle of at least two opposingsides. Such bulging can be limited and is preferably less thanapproximately 7 mm and more preferably less than 2 mm on the short sideand less than approximately 16 mm on the long side. However, acuteangles should preferably be avoided. That is to say, with respect to thestraight line connecting the points of greatest deflection/inflection,the outward deviation is less than approximately 7 mm and approximately16 mm, respectively, and preferably 3-6 and 7-15 mm, respectively.Moreover, the container can be provided with finger holds to facilitatehandling.

As a result of the specific choice of the abovementioned dimensions, thebase surface area of the container is 120-150 cm², in particular 125-140cm², for example 126-136 cm².

The invention is in particular provided with a closure indicating tamper(tamper evidence). This is implemented in that the lid rim is providedwith a peripheral part that extends upwards and that extends to the topof the lid periphery or beyond this. As a result it is not easilypossible to raise the lid located within it. The circumferential rim ofthe lid is not accessible in the closed position. The peripheral edgeaccommodating the circumferential rim can be interrupted to obtainaccess to for example a lip extending from the lid. Such means forinterrupting the peripheral edge can comprise a break away portionthereof. This is effected, for example, by fixing the break away part attwo points on each side of edge. By breaking away the part the lip ofthe lid is exposed and the lid can be opened. When the part is brokenaway the abovementioned joins to the lid rim (peripheral edge) aredestroyed, so that it is clear that tampering has taken place throughthe interruption of the circumference line. Thereafter the lid canalways easily be opened after closing.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference toan illustrative embodiment shown in the drawing. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 shows, diagrammatically, a perspective and partially exposed viewof the container according to the invention;

FIG. 1 a is a detail of FIG. 1 with the lid in closed condition;

FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the seal according to the invention;

FIG. 3 shows the section along the line III-III in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows the section along the line IV-IV of the lid and thecontainer in closed position;

FIG. 5 shows in perspective view a further embodiment of the lidaccording to the invention;

FIG. 6 shows in top view the lid of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 shows, diagrammatically, an installation for the production ofpacks according to the invention.

In FIG. 1 a packaging according to the invention is indicated by 1. Thisconsists of a container 2 with base 17. The base 17 is positioned insidethe container so that it is somewhat raised, so that an upright rim 29is produced. This upright rim facilitates stacking of furthercontainers.

3 indicates a lid with lip 18 that is joined via a hinge 5 to a lid rim4. Lid and lid rim consist of a plastic material and are produced byinjection moulding. As can be seen from FIG. 4, in the closed positionthe top of lid 3 close to the periphery thereof is somewhat below thetop of the raised peripheral edge 23 of the lid rim. The lid 3 isprovided with a depending edge 26 fitting relatively closely inside thecircumferential edge 27 on the lid rim 4. The circumferential upper partof lid 3 is referred to by 28 and fits closely adjacent to peripheraledge 23. As a result it is not possible to grasp the lid except at thelocation of the cut-out 24 in the peripheral edge 23. In the closedposition the depending part of lip 18 extends in front of cut-out 24.Access to lip 18 is prevented by part 25 being in front of lip 18. Thisis shown in more detail in FIG. 1 a. It is clear that lip 18 has abarbed protrusion engaging below a projection of part 25 and preventinglifting of lip 18 as long as part 25 is present. On delivery, thecut-out 24 is closed off by part 25, which is joined to the peripheraledge 23 on either side by two points 48 in each case. Connection of part25 to the circumferential edge 23 can be realised in any other way suchas by local decrease in thickness. Part 25 can be broken away easily andafter breaking away the lid can be opened by lifting lip 18. In this wayit is clear to the user that he or she is the first person to open thepack.

If part 25 has been tampered with this will be immediately evidentbecause it is at the outer circumference of the container. It must beunderstood that the evidence of first opener described above(tamper-proof evidence) can also be used in combination with packagingsother than are described here and rights are explicitly requested forthis. The lid rim is clamped or bonded to the container wall, or fixedin some other way known in the state of the art. The outer periphery ofthe lid/lid rim is such that this falls within the periphery of uprightlower rim 29. The container is of essentially rectangular construction,but it can clearly be seen from the drawing that there is slight bulgingin the middle of the flat walls. This is indicated diagrammatically by bfor the front face. Such bulging can be limited and is preferably lessthan approximately 7 mm on the short side and less than approximately 16mm on the long side. That is to say, with respect to the straight linethat joins the points of greatest deflection/inflection, the outwarddeviation is less than approximately 7 mm and approximately 16 mm,respectively, and preferably 3-6 and 7-15 mm, respectively. Furthermore,the container can be provided with finger holds to facilitate handlingthereof.

As can be seen from FIG. 1, the lid rim 4 is provided with alevelling-off strip 6. When the pack is held at an angle, the overfilledscoop can then be moved under edge 6 and an accurate volume is thusdetermined. Moreover, as a result of the construction of the edge, nocompression of the powder or product takes place, so that there isalways a reproducible amount of material in the scoop.

Product 11, such as baby food, is contained in the container 2. A seal13, consisting of a film material that has been applied to the inside ofthe wall of the container 2 by heat sealing, has been arrangedimmediately above this product. This film material is provided with aweakening line 14 and a pull lip 15. When pull lip 15 is grasped, film13 will tear along weakening line 14 and access to the product thusbecomes possible.

Lid 3 is provided with a convex portion 9 that falls within theelevation produced by the upright rim 28 of a further pack optionallystacked on top of the pack shown here. Moreover, there is a furtherelevation 10 in which part of scoop 8 is accommodated. This part ispreferably the bowl of the scoop. Optionally there can be yet a furtherelevation for the (end of) the handle.

The size of the scoop is dependent on the desired dosage. The elevation10 can extend above the elevation 9, as can be seen from thecross-section according to FIG. 3. The maximum of the elevation 10 withrespect to the base is indicated by “a” and is between 4 and 12 mm.Because the container is provided with a peripheral rim 28 at thebottom, these elevations fall within the space delimited by said rim 18and base 17. For accurate centring, rim 18 is flanged inwards to someextent from the base 17, so that a clearly fixed position is obtainedwhen stacking. The height of the base with respect to the positioningsurface of the container is matched to the height of the elevation withrespect to the position where the side walls of the container bear onthe underlying pack. This is shown by “b” in FIG. 4. The handle of scoop8 can be clamped with a snap fit between lips 7 that are integral withthe lid and are preferably located close to or in the middle of the lid.The container wall is provided with recesses 16 that correspond to theshape of the user's fingers. Clamping the scoop to the lid avoids thescoop being dropped back into the powder after first use. If the scoopis clicked into the lid, bacterial contamination can be prevented as faras possible. Before the first opening of the container, i.e. aftershipment from the filling facility the scoop 8 might be loosely arrangedon seal 13. This is shown in FIG. 4. It can be concluded from FIG. 4that the size of scoop 8 is such that the accommodation defined by thetop of the lid and the lower side thereof is not sufficient to receivethe scoop. Because of that seal 13 is provided at a distance r from thelowest point of the accommodation in the lid for spoon of the container.This distance r is preferably between 20 and 50 mm and more inparticular about 40 mm. In this way the height of the lid can be keptrelatively low which allows for easy stacking during production thereof.

Preferably, the height of the lid is such that also after first use,when the seal is removed and scoop 8 is clamped between lips 7, thescoop extends partially in the space below the lid and defined by thetop of the container 2.

The edge 23 is made upright in order to make it possible that powderthat is spilt during movement of the filled scoop falls back into thecontainer.

It can be seen from FIG. 3 that the wall of the container is made up ofa laminate. From outside to inside this consists of a layer ofboard/paper 20, a relatively thin aluminium foil 21 and, arranged insidethis, a layer of a plastic material 22 that can be joined to seal 13 byheat sealing. As a result of the use of the seal, the risk that foreignbodies could reach the product is limited. After all, after the seal hasbeen applied such undesired bodies, such as plastic parts of the scoop,will remain on top of the seal and not be able to reach the powder.

A few typical dimensions of the packaging will be given below. However,it must be understood that these must be interpreted as non-limiting ifbaby food is packed.

The distance between the bottom of the lid and the top of the seal ispreferably between 14 and 27 mm. More particularly this distance isbetween 7 and 23 mm. Such a gap is precisely enough to accommodate ascoop. However, this height will vary depending on the desired volume ofthe scoop.

The gap below the seal and above the powder is preferably less than 10mm and more particularly less than 5 mm. That is to say the seal ispositioned as close as possible to the powder during packing.

As can be seen from the drawing, the container is of rectangularconstruction, as a result of which this can be emptied to the optimumwith the aid of scoop 8. In order to optimise emptying, the length ofthe scoop is preferably 60-95% of the diagonal of the container and moreparticularly 70-90% thereof.

As a result of the use of rectangular containers, optimum use can bemade of the available volume either in the packaging or on the shelf ofthe retail organisation.

In FIG. 5 a further embodiment of the lid according to the invention isshown. This is generally referred to by 53 and basically correspond withlid 3 according to the previous figures. The elevation for the scoop isreferred to by 60, 61. Elevation 60 is adapted to receive part of thebowl 52 of scoop 58 whilst elevation 61 is provided to receive stem 54thereof. In between both elevation 60, 61 reinforcement ribs of the lidextend. Clamping means 57 are shown in dotted lines. This embodimentarrangement is such that in clamped position the open side of bowl 52 isdirected to accommodation 60. This means that it is possible to receivebowls having different “height” between clamping lips 57 This allows forthe use of several sized bowls of scoop 58 without adaptation to thedesign of the lid. Also, in this embodiment only part of the scoop isaccommodated by the lid whilst the remaining part is accommodated by thespace above the seal in the container.

An installation for the production of a pack is shown in FIG. 6. Thisconsists of a feed station 31, into which blanks 32 are introduced. Withthe aid of a folding/sealing station 33 the containers 34 according tothe present invention are produced therefrom. These containers consistof a wall and a base without lid. The product is then introduced at 35.At 30 the sealing film is applied by heat sealing while introducing aninert gas into the space in which the product is stored. In this way avolume that remains gastight is obtained in which the product can bestored for a very long period without damage. The introduction of gascan be carried out either batchwise or continuously in station 30.Checks on the packaging and the contents are carried out at 39. The lid,together with the lid rim, is then pressed onto the container wall andfixed thereto at 37. Collection and packing takes place at 38.

Although the invention has been described above with reference to apreferred embodiment, it must be understood that numerous modificationscan be made thereto without going beyond the scope of the presentapplication as defined in the appended claims.

1-19. (canceled)
 20. A packaging for pulverulent material comprising acontainer, a lid and a metering scoop, as well as an accommodation inthe space delimited by the lid for accommodating said measuring scoop,wherein said lid is provided with an elevation oriented outwards whenthe lid is in the fitted position on said container, the interior ofwhich elevation delimiting a cavity for at least partially accommodatingsaid scoop and the inside of said lid being provided with fixing meansfor said scoop, said container having a seal for separating the contentsof the container from the environment and extending over the freecross-sectional area of said container, said seal being spaced from thetop of said container to accommodate part of said metering scoop, thatthe height of said accommodation in said lid is smaller than the heightof said scoop such that when the lid is closed on said container thescoop can be received in the accommodation defined between said lid andsaid seal and in that said scoop is separate from said lid andcontainer.
 21. The packaging according to claim 20, wherein the highestpoint of said elevation extends at least 4 mm (a) above the topperipheral edge of said packaging.
 22. The packaging according to claim20, wherein said lid is fixed, such that it can hinge, to a supportingedge, which is fixed to said container wall, wherein said lid andsupporting edge comprise a single part of plastic material.
 23. Thepackaging according to claim 20, wherein said supporting edge isprovided with a levelling-off surface.
 24. The packaging according toclaim 23, wherein said levelling-off surface is arranged close to acorner of said container.
 25. The packaging according to claim 20,wherein said supporting edge is provided with a raised part, withinwhich the lid is fitted horizontally, which raised part is provided witha cut-out, provided with a closure part that can be removed easily. 26.The packaging according to claim 20, wherein said scoop comprises a cupand wherein said fixing means are arranged to receive the scoop suchthat the open part of the cup is directed to said lid.
 27. The packagingaccording to claim 20, wherein the container wall contains aheat-sealable material on the inside and wherein said seal comprises aplastic film seal, which seal is fixed to said container wall by heatsealing.
 28. The packaging according to claim 20, wherein said containerand said lid are essentially rectangular.
 29. The packaging according toclaim 27, wherein the distance (r) between the top of said film and thelowest point of the accommodation in the lid for the scoop is between 35and 50 mm.
 30. The packaging according to claim 20, wherein saidcontainer wall consists of a paper/metal foil/plastic laminate.
 31. Thepackaging according to claim 20, wherein said wall of the containerextends downwards beyond the base of said container to delimit anupright rim.
 32. The packaging according to claim 20, wherein said lidhas a circumferential edge and the top of said container has aperipheral edge, wherein in the closed position of said lid, saidcircumferential edge of said lid is inaccessibly accommodated withinsaid peripheral edge, means being provided to interrupt said peripheraledge for access to said circumferential edge.
 33. The packagingaccording to claim 32, wherein said means to interrupt said peripheraledge comprise a breakable peripheral edge portion.
 34. The packagingaccording to claim 32, wherein said lid comprises a lip being locked inposition by said means.
 35. A method for providing a pack filled withpowder, comprising the provision of a container provided with a base,the inside wall of the container consisting of a heat-sealable material,wherein the method is comprised of the steps of: filling powder intosaid container, placing a heat-sealable film above the powder, andjoining said film to said container wall, provision being made for thefitting of a lid.
 36. The method according to claim 35, wherein theprovision of a container comprises using blanks of wall material andbase material as the starting materials and joining these togetherimmediately before filling with product.
 37. The method according toclaim 35, wherein inert gas is fed into the space located below the filmbefore/when sealing the film to the container wall.
 38. The methodaccording to claim 36, wherein gas is fed to a number of packssimultaneously.
 39. The packaging according to claim 20, wherein thepulverulent material is baby food.